Chapter Summaries

Ning Chen defeated Yan Jiushi and reunited with Qing Ling, while Aizen Myōō secured his promise to protect her path to the Fourth Realm. After Di Mingtian escaped Moon-Worshiping Venerable, Ning Chen and his companions entered the deadly Fire Domain, and the rescued young powerhouses set out for the Ancient Battlefield.

• Ning Chen killed Yan Jiushi after countering his final deathly seal, then embraced the rescued Qing Ling and thanked Aizen Myōō for her intervention.
• Aizen Myōō asked Ning Chen to protect her path to the Fourth Realm, and he agreed while warning her about the danger of cultivating both Buddha and Demon.
• Ning Chen told Qing Ling that Yin'er had gone to Li Family Village and that Ruoxi was with Wulei and Ji Yuqing, then led the women onward.
• Di Mingtian wounded Moon-Worshiping Venerable with the Forbidden Underworld Seal and escaped into the spatial turbulence.
• Half a month later, Ning Chen, Qing Ling, and Aizen Myōō entered the Fire Domain and cut a path toward the Ancient Battlefield, worried that Ruoxi and Wulei were missing.
• Moon-Worshiping Venerable guided the trapped young powerhouses out of the spatial turbulence, and they continued toward the Ancient Battlefield.

Ning Chen emerged from the Meteor Fire Domain and carved his name into the eightieth Heavenly Pillar, revealing that the Ninth Son of Ink Sect had survived. The venerables moved to stop him, and his battle with Moon-Worshiping Venerable ended with her bleeding from his final clash.

• Ning Chen led Qing Ling and Aizen Myōō through the Meteor Fire Domain with his sword technique and reached the eightieth Heavenly Pillar, while Wulei and the others remained missing.
• Ning Chen restored his original appearance and carved his name into the Heavenly Pillar, alerting the Starfield Overseers and revealing that the Ninth Son of Ink Sect was alive.
• Venerable Tianlan and the other venerables discussed stopping Ning Chen before he reached the Ancient Battlefield, and they sent Moon-Worshiping Venerable to intercept him.
• Moon-Worshiping Venerable attacked Ning Chen, and the two fought fiercely, destroying the Heavenly Pillar amid their escalating techniques.
• Ning Chen unleashed Dragon Phoenix Heavenly Burial against Moon-Worshiping Venerable's Chaos Extreme, and a streak of blood showed that she had been wounded.

Ning Chen reached the eighty-first Heavenly Pillar and summoned a reflection of the Ancient Battlefield, while the Starfield Venerables and young powerhouses tried to stop him. He left the battlefield’s opening unresolved as powerful figures arrived and Qi Yanxia denied being Fan Lingyue.

• Ning Chen left Moon Worship after their duel and continued toward the final Heavenly Pillar with Qing Ling and Aizen Myōō.
• The Starfield Venerables attacked Ning Chen with a giant palm, but he shattered it and reached the eighty-first Heavenly Pillar.
• After Ning Chen carved his name into the pillar, an ancient battlefield appeared as a vast reflection, and he raised the Yellow Springs Divine Restriction around it.
• Qin Bai and the Five Kings led the young powerhouses in attacking the restriction, but Ning Chen’s Immortal Slaying Sword broke their combined assault and wounded the Five Kings.
• The peerless prodigies arrived, and Qi Yanxia told the man in the ink-white cloak that she was not Fan Lingyue.

Ning Chen tried to open the Ancient Battlefield at Heaven's Chosen Peak, while the arrival of five Starfield Venerables triggered a battle around him. Aizen Myōō merged with the Buddhist Disciple to become Buddha Demon, and Ning Chen faced the Moonlit Tower Master as the fighting continued.

• Qing Ling and Aizen inscribed their names on the eighty-first Heavenly Pillar, causing the Ancient Battlefield's reflection to shift into a scene of devastation.
• Spirit Void Venerable led four other Starfield Venerables to Heaven's Chosen Peak and demanded that Ning Chen open the restriction, but allies of Ning Chen blocked their advance.
• The Buddhist Disciple merged his power into Aizen, transforming her into Buddha Demon and raising a real Heavenly Pillar.
• Qing Ling, Xia Ziyi, All-Heavens, Responding Firmament, the Moonlit Tower Master, and others fought the Starfield Venerables while the Moonlit Tower Master broke through to Ning Chen.
• Ning Chen and the Moonlit Tower Master exchanged fierce attacks, and Ning Chen was wounded by a breath of the Yellow Springs.
• Aizen and her allies continued battling Spirit Void Venerable and Purple Star Venerable, while Sword Two arrived and forced Purple Star Venerable to turn aside her attack.

Ning Chen and his allies fought to hold back the Starfield Venerables while he faced the Moonlit Tower Master atop Heaven's Chosen Peak. With Golden Radiance Venerable joining the battle, Wu Qingying and Yi Xuanmiao intercepted him; Ning Chen then unleashed a planned, combined forbidden sword move, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Aizen Myōō, the man in white, and their allies held off the Starfield Venerables as Ying Qiong, Qi Yanxia, Consort Luo, and Luo Xingchen fought on another front.
• Ning Chen and the Moonlit Tower Master traded powerful attacks atop Heaven's Chosen Peak without either gaining the advantage.
• Golden Radiance Venerable arrived to aid the Moonlit Tower Master, but Wu Qingying and Yi Xuanmiao blocked his path; Yi Xuanmiao declared that only he could take Ning Chen's life.
• Wu Qingying unleashed the Six Karma Guqin's Baleful Intent, and Golden Radiance Venerable was wounded for the first time in the battle.
• Ning Chen drew the Trapping Immortal Sword and met the Moonlit Tower Master's ultimate move with the Taiji Array Diagram, while his allies lent him their essence.
• Ning Chen rose into the sky and unleashed the Grand Supreme Forbidden Sword, sending ten thousand swords down in the Apocalyptic Catastrophe.

Ning Chen and the other young powerhouses entered the Ancient Battlefield after Hua Zhongdie arrived to hold off the five Starfield Venerables. Hua Zhongdie unleashed her butterfly demon power and wounded Venerable Ying Qiong, but the battle continued as her aura grew beyond what the human realm could bear.

• The Grand Supreme Forbidden Sword opened the Ancient Battlefield, and two treasures reached Ning Chen while a powerful voice kept the Time Restriction from entering the world.
• The Purple Star Venerable ordered the five Starfield Venerables to kill their opponents, but Hua Zhongdie arrived and told Ning Chen to enter the battlefield.
• Ning Chen warned the Venerables that he would slaughter their clans if Hua Zhongdie were harmed, then entered the Ancient Battlefield with Xia Ziyi, Mu Qianshang, and the others.
• Hua Zhongdie fought the five Venerables alone, revealing black butterfly wings and defeating their attacks with her Butterfly Dance techniques.
• Hua Zhongdie struck Venerable Ying Qiong with Burial of Flowers, then clashed with the combined attack of the Spirit Void and Purple Star Venerables using Splendor Turning to Topple Cities.
• The clash wounded the Spirit Void and Purple Star Venerables, while Hua Zhongdie emerged from the dust with her power still rising and the void distorting around her.

Hua Zhongdie fought five venerables to block the way into the Ancient Battlefield, killing All Heavens Venerable before Divine Strategist and Moon-Worshiping Venerable intervened and ended the battle. The venerables entered the battlefield, and Hua Zhongdie appeared there afterward, alone on its desolate ground.

• Butterfly overwhelmed the five venerables, then trapped Venerable Ying Qiong in her Water Sleeve Heavenly Net.
• Butterfly killed All Heavens Venerable and devoured his cultivation source with the Nine Netherworld Sky-Devouring Demonic Scripture.
• As Butterfly and the four surviving venerables prepared their ultimate moves, Divine Strategist and Moon-Worshiping arrived and halted the fight.
• Divine Strategist persuaded the four venerables to enter the Ancient Battlefield, and Hua Zhongdie withdrew after learning Ninth Son of Ink Sect and the others had gone ahead.
• Divine Strategist and Moon-Worshiping discussed Ninth Son of Ink Sect's preparations before following the venerables into the battlefield.
• Hua Zhongdie appeared on the barren Ancient Battlefield, walking alone across its desolate earth.

Ning Chen followed mysterious bell chimes through the Ancient Battlefield and was intercepted by Yue Zhinv, who knew his identity and sought to kill him. After Yue Zhinv wounded him and urged him to use his immortal sword, Ning Chen merged the cultivation of his two bodies and unleashed his strongest sword technique.

• Hua Zhongdie's demonic power ran wild as Yue Zhinv warned her that the Star Venerables had discovered her scripture and demanded she return.
• Ning Chen crossed an illusory ancient battlefield and hurried toward the sound of bells echoing across the wilderness.
• Yue Zhinv identified Ning Chen as the Marquis of Knowing Fate and attacked him with her divine sword and red umbrella.
• Ning Chen fought back with his Fate-Binding Sword and Heavenly Book techniques, but Yue Zhinv overpowered him and pierced his chest.
• Ning Chen refused to draw his immortal sword, merged the cultivation of his two bodies, and unleashed Phoenix Ancestral Return and Nirvana.

Ning Chen entered the Ancient Battlefield’s mountain ranges as the Eastern Emperor Bell appeared and drew the Starfield Venerables into a battle to seize it. Di Mingtian used the Sacrifice of Life to unleash overwhelming power against Moon-Worshiping Venerable, leaving her injured as the contest for the bell continued.

• Yue Zhinv ended her duel with Ning Chen and departed to stabilize Hua Zhongdie’s demonic cultivation, sealing her aura and taking her away.
• Di Mingtian ordered Ying Qianjiang to prepare the Sacrifice of Life, while Ning Chen hurried into the mountain ranges seeking clues about the Fourth Realm.
• The Eastern Emperor Bell appeared above the mountains and killed four cultivators who tried to seize it.
• Wu Qingying tried to silence the bell with her harp, but its power shattered her attack; Mu Qianshang stopped Luo Xingchen from testing it further.
• Moon-Worshiping Venerable joined forces with Divine Mechanism and challenged the other venerables to claim the bell.
• Di Mingtian entered the fight after the venerables attacked the bell, used power supplied by the Sacrifice of Life to strike Moon-Worshiping Venerable down, and shocked her with her strength.

Di Mingtian fought the venerables for control of the Eastern Emperor Bell until Knowing Fate’s Phoenix Body intervened, using the bell and his speed to battle him. While the clash continued, Ning Chen’s true body prepared a heavenly restriction, determined to eliminate the threat from the Starfield Venerables before they could repeat what happened in Central Province.

• Di Mingtian defeated the five venerables’ combined attack and moved to seize the Eastern Emperor Bell, while Divine Mechanism and the Moonlit Tower Master discussed whether the artifact could accept a new master.
• The Eastern Emperor Bell’s backlash injured Di Mingtian and the venerables, but Di Mingtian used sacrificial power to resist it and try to claim the bell.
• Knowing Fate’s Phoenix Body and another red-clad swordsman attacked Di Mingtian, and the Phoenix Body used the Green Cauldron to withstand the bell’s waves.
• Luo Xingchen and Mu Qianshang recognized that Ning Chen was holding back and chose not to interfere, while Consort Luo and Xia Ziyi agreed to help him obtain the bell before pursuing their own opportunities.
• Ning Chen continued forming a heavenly restriction as the battle intensified, telling the silver-gray-cloaked man that he intended to strike first and uproot the threat completely.

Ning Chen trapped the Venerables in the Yellow Springs Divine Restriction and attacked them with the Immortal Bell and Yama. The Moonlit Tower Master revealed that he had helped Ning Chen master musical law by sacrificing part of his foundation in pursuit of an opportunity for the Fourth Realm.

• Di Mingtian unleashed his ultimate move, and the red-clad figure withdrew while the Venerables and hidden experts rushed to claim the Eastern Emperor Bell.
• Shenji stopped Moon-Worshiping Venerable from advancing as Ning Chen trapped the approaching experts in the Yellow Springs Divine Restriction.
• Ning Chen warned Moon-Worshiping Venerable not to interfere, and she stepped back after the Moonlit Tower Master confirmed the Venerables could not survive.
• Ning Chen entered the restriction and summoned Yama, whose zither waves struck the Immortal Bell and wounded a Venerable.
• Shenji realized the Moonlit Tower Master had helped Ning Chen develop his musical-law foundation, and the Tower Master said he sought an opportunity for the Fourth Realm.

Zhiming used the Yellow Springs Restriction, the Eastern Emperor Bell, and his divided bodies to slaughter the Starfield Venerables. Elsewhere, he continued teaching Lingzhi while waiting for the Phoenix Body to find the Time Restriction.

• Zhiming trapped the venerables in the Yellow Springs Restriction and attacked them with the Funeral Dirge of Yama and the Eastern Emperor Bell.
• The Moon-Worshiping Venerable questioned the Moonlit Tower Master and Shenji about the consequences of the venerables' deaths, while the Tower Master defended his choice to support Zhiming.
• At midnight, the Eastern Emperor Bell injured two venerables, and Zhiming's red-clothed body used Immortal Slayer to kill them.
• Zhiming taught Lingzhi swordsmanship by the Mishui River as he waited for the Phoenix Body to find the Time Restriction.
• Yama's final refrain sounded as the remaining venerables' bodies fell from the sky.

Ning Chen defeated Di Mingtian in the Ancient Battlefield and claimed the Eastern Emperor Bell before leaving with Qing Ling. After reuniting his three bodies, he reached the Ancient Sun Secret Realm and challenged the Ancient Sun Venerable.

• Ning Chen fought Di Mingtian with his twin swords, wounded him, and forced him to retreat beyond the Yellow Springs Divine Restriction.
• Ning Chen used the phoenix to swallow the Eastern Emperor Bell, then left the Ancient Battlefield after affirming his agreement with the Moonlit Tower Master.
• Qing Ling departed with Ning Chen, while the remaining cultivators turned toward their own opportunities in the mountain range.
• Three months later, Qing Ling agreed to wait for Ning Chen as he set out, and his three bodies reunited after thirty years.
• Ning Chen arrived at the Ancient Sun Secret Realm on Great Profound Star and challenged the Ancient Sun Venerable.

Ning Chen challenged Ancient Sun Venerable for the Time Restriction, unleashing the arts and powers of his three reunited bodies in a battle that shook the secret realm. The fight left both men wounded, with Ancient Sun Venerable finally taking Ning Chen seriously.

• Ning Chen and Ancient Sun Venerable began their duel for the Time Restriction, and Ancient Sun Venerable gained the early advantage with his palm force.
• After their exchanges shattered formations and raised a mountain, Ning Chen answered Ancient Sun Venerable’s cloud attack with a sword empowered by the four sources.
• Ancient Sun Venerable unleashed Cloud Bell Eleven Forms, Wind Thunder Heaven, and Ning Chen countered with the Six Heavenly Demonic Extremes, suffering his first injury.
• Ning Chen escaped Ancient Sun Venerable’s follow-up palm with Phoenix Speed, then attacked with the Scroll of Earth and One Sword, Formless.
• Ning Chen combined Four Symbols Consecration, Heavenly Dragon Quake, with One Sword, Formless, piercing Ancient Sun Venerable’s protective essence, but Ancient Sun Venerable seized the blade and struck Ning Chen in the chest.
• Ancient Sun Venerable suppressed the wound at his heart and regarded Ning Chen with newfound seriousness after being injured for the first time in a hundred years.

Ning Chen fought the Ancient Sun Venerable in the Ancient Sun Secret Realm to obtain the Time Restriction, unleashing his forbidden art after the Venerable Lord’s world-shaking attacks. Ning Chen won and took the jade slip, while the Ancient Sun Venerable punished the followers who had intervened.

• Ning Chen countered the Ancient Sun Venerable’s attacks with his swords, demonic arts, and three bodies, but the Venerable Lord broke through his thousand-year seal and reached a higher domain.
• The Ancient Sun Venerable struck Ning Chen with the Pure Moon Tide, and Ning Chen opened all four scrolls to block it before the red-clothed figure helped suppress his injuries.
• Ning Chen unleashed the Scroll of Life and the forbidden move All living beings perish, sacrificing the foundations of his Phoenix and demonic bodies as his attack collided with the Ancient Sun Venerable’s divine flames.
• The Ancient Sun Secret Realm collapsed, and Ning Chen appeared beside the wounded Ancient Sun Venerable with his sword at the Venerable Lord’s throat; the Venerable Lord conceded and let him take the Time Restriction.
• Ning Chen left with the jade slip, and the Ancient Sun Venerable ordered the followers who had arrived to spend thirty years reflecting at Black Moon Cliff.

Ning Chen mastered the Time Divine Restriction and used it with the Yellow Springs Restriction to accelerate the growth of the Immortal Peach Divine Tree, sacrificing his remaining cultivation and strength. He returned to Great Xia and told Xia Xinyu that he had come back to marry her.

• Ning Chen studied the Time Restriction for months while Qing Ling and Lingzhi worried over his worsening condition.
• Ning Chen revealed the Time Law and fused the Time Divine Restriction with the Yellow Springs Restriction to hasten the divine tree's growth.
• Ning Chen told Qing Ling that he had used the forbidden move of the Scroll of Life and accepted the cost because he hoped the tree would help bring back the Ghost Maiden.
• Ning Chen left Mishui Riverbank with Qing Ling and returned to the Princess's Residence in Great Xia.
• Ning Chen told Xia Xinyu that everything was done and he had returned, as promised, to marry her.

Qing Ling told Xia Chi to prepare a wedding for Ning Chen and Xin Yu, and invitations went to the Northern Mongol Royal Court and the Barbarian Dynasty. The former Barbarian King attacked Ning Chen in Zhiming Marquisate, but Ning Chen endured a grave wound and asked him to talk.

• Qing Ling visited Changsun's chamber, then told Xia Chi to prepare Ning Chen and Xin Yu's wedding and send invitations to Northern Mongolia and the Barbarian Dynasty.
• Mingyue decided to travel to Great Xia for the wedding and ordered Ling Xiao to arrange the journey.
• After receiving the invitation, the former Barbarian King left for Zhiming Marquisate in a fury.
• The Barbarian King attacked Ning Chen, who defended himself and fought back within the Yellow Springs Divine Restriction.
• Ning Chen took the Barbarian King's punch while aiming his sword at the king's throat, then asked whether they could talk.

Ning Chen explained to the Barbarian King why he could not wait for A'man and prepared to marry Xia Xinyu, who had chosen an ordinary life to remain with him. As the wedding drew near, Ning Chen visited the Changsun Tomb and faced the resentful spirits still demanding an explanation, promising to answer them when the Ghost Maiden awakened.

• Ning Chen told the Barbarian King that his ruined foundation and limited lifespan meant he could not wait a hundred years for A'man, and the Barbarian King learned that Xia Xinyu had given up martial cultivation by choice.
• News of Ning Chen and Xia Xinyu's marriage spread, prompting Great Xia's Martial Marquises and the Northern Mongol Royal Court's procession to head toward the capital.
• Ning Xi helped prepare the marquis's residence for the wedding, while Qing Ling discovered Soul Severing Grass among Xia Xinyu's herbs and heard her affirm that her choice was worth the cost.
• Ning Chen visited the Changsun Tomb and told the Empress Dowager that he and Xia Xinyu would marry in half a month.
• In the red maple forest, resentful spirits confronted Ning Chen over their deaths, and he promised to give them an explanation when the Ghost Maiden awakened before drawing them back into the Scroll of Chaos.
• Ning Xi told Ning Chen that the Northern Mongol Royal Court's procession was nearly there, and he left the maple forest with her.

Ning Chen welcomed Mingyue and the Northern Mongol delegation to Great Xia, then advised her on curbing the Ling Family’s growing power. That night, he began training Zijing in lethal sword arts, and the Venerable Lady appeared at his residence.

• Ning Chen greeted Mingyue, Zijing, and the Northern Mongol procession outside Great Xia’s imperial city and escorted them to the Guest Reception Hall.
• Mingyue told Ning Chen that the Ling Family was gaining influence through Yang Hong’s disciple, and Ning Chen advised her to investigate abuses and reclaim military authority.
• Ning Chen told Zijing to visit his residence for training, while Mingyue lamented her duties as emperor and secretly pinched him.
• Xia Chi ordered Marquis Dongzhi to protect the Northern Mongol delegation, and Ning Chen waited at his residence for Zijing after midnight.
• Ning Chen began teaching Zijing lethal sword arts, then greeted the Venerable Lady when she appeared.

Ning Chen arranged for Nu Chang to train Zijing, who learned about the paths to martial strength and witnessed Ning Chen demonstrate the sword’s Ultimate. Later, Ning Chen recounted his past to Nu Chang and gave her the Time Restriction to study, ending by saying he had no regrets or resentments and would choose an ordinary life if reborn.

• Nu Chang agreed to teach Zijing after Ning Chen explained that Mingyue’s maid needed training to protect her in the Northern Mongol court.
• Zijing fought Nu Chang, who defeated her and explained how experience, mastery of techniques, and understanding martial arts could strengthen her beyond cultivation alone.
• Ning Chen demonstrated the sword’s Ultimate, and he and Nu Chang advised Zijing to choose carefully which path of martial improvement to pursue.
• Nu Chang warned Ning Chen that his dissipated bodies and damaged foundation made returning to the path of immortality exceedingly difficult.
• Ning Chen told Nu Chang the story of his life and let her examine the Time Restriction, then said he had no regrets or resentments and would willingly be ordinary in another life.